The Foreign Service Journal, July-August 2016

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JULY-AUGUST 2016 95 tion during long slogs through difficult names and obscure events. Even if one does not fully accept Mott’s thesis about the continuity of the region’s history, he adduces plenty of historical examples from the foreign policies of China, Iran and Russia, in particular. For instance, he usefully reminds us that in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, Vladimir Putin seemed genuinely open to the George W. Bush administration establishing U.S. bases in Central Asia. But within just a few years, Putin did “a 180” on that idea, and began employing a combina- tion of threats and diplomacy to “persuade” Uzbekistan and other former Soviet republics not to be so welcoming to the Americans. Mott clearly did prodigious amounts of research, which is commendable, but he does periodically succumb to the historian’s temptation to go into excessive detail to make his points. The index and maps are useful, but the book could have used a glossary of terms and a cast of characters, as well. In particular, while I’m certainly no expert on rendering Chinese names into English, I frequently had to use context to figure out which dynasties and emperors he was discussing. Judging from the strange syntax and word choices that pop up from time to time—along with some truly impenetrable academic prose—Mott’s editor did him no favors. Even so, The Formless Empire Nomads’ Land The Formless Empire: A Short History of Diplomacy and Warfare in Central Asia Christopher Mott, Westholme Publish- ing, 2015, $28/hardcover, $10.99/Kindle, 256 pages. Reviewed By Steven Alan Honley Mysterious and vaguely menacing, the title of this book, The Formless Empire , sounds more suitable for a Harry Potter novel than diplomatic history. But British historian Christopher Mott defines his coinage fairly straightfor- wardly, as signifying the fact that Central Asia has its own tradition of warfare and diplo- macy—one that is rooted in the nomadic culture of its peoples, as well as the region’s distinctive geography. Specifically, he con- tends: “These are empires that did not seek total con- trol or ideological or cultural conversion of their subject peoples, but rather behaved as arbiters between different communities and guarantors of trade. “They effectively positioned them- selves as an elite cadre akin to a modern rapid-reaction force that seeks to retain the military benefits of a mobile lifestyle, while at the same time feeding off the ben- efits of trade in goods and resources that they could produce themselves.” Mott applies this concept to more than two millennia of Central Asian and Eur- asian history, coming all the way up to the present. That necessitates a brisk narrative pace, which occasionally forces him to give short shrift to key developments. But in return, it helps hold the reader’s atten- BOOKS This book is an engaging examination of the nature of non-Western imperialism and great-power strategy in Eurasia. is an engaging examination of the nature of non-Western imperialism and great- power strategy in Eurasia. It demonstrates that regional histories can show us the variety of political possi- bilities in the past and explain how leaders have adapted them to changing circum- stances. That is especially useful in light of the rapid changes unfolding in terms of global security and new forms of nation- building—and empire-building. Foreign Service members who are serving in Central Asia, or who follow the region, will get the most out of this book, which would be a strong candidate for an area studies reading list. Though anyone who enjoys world history may find it interesting, I would rec- ommend casual readers look at the table of contents and select a chapter to sample rather than plunging in head-first. Steven Alan Honley is The Foreign Service Journal ’s contributing editor. A Glass Half-Full or Half-Empty? The Great Surge: The Ascent of the Developing World Steven Radelet, Simon & Schuster, 2015, $28/hardcover, $17/paperback, $14.99/Kindle, 368 pages. Reviewed By Mark Wentling I applaud Steven Radelet for this fascinat- ing book. I’m enriched by all the informa- tion marshaled to support his argument that there are fewer poor people in the world today than at any previous time in history. He quotes all pertinent sources; almost every sentence cites a key statistic or refer- ence. His book is so chock full of facts and citations that it’s a relief to read a sentence that puts a human face on the poor.